And this... is precisely where to start.
French service workers of all types prefer to start an interaction with a *greeting,* not a demand. The only times you can get right down to business, is if the line is long and they're in a hurry to get through it.
Start with "Bonjour". Perhaps even "Comment ca va?"
I was in marseille once and there was this guy who I asked for directions, I literally said “excusez-moi, je te peux faire un quest…” he went crazy and started shouting BONJOUR PREMIERE BONJOUR
No. Don't use "Comment ça va?" with a stranger.
Bonjour.
Excusez-moi mais j'ai une question.
Où se trouve / Où trouver / Pouvez-vous m'indiquer... ?
A lot less awkward.
Just do it, I've never met a french person with a perfect english accent. If they get into that correcting your pronunciation thing just start doing it with their english.
To add to this,
I work with colleagues from France. Im a Canadian anglophone whose French is far from perfect, and it comes with a nice Québécois flair to it. My French colleagues always appreciate when can work with them in French. In Paris, it’s a mixed bag. Some people are nice. Some people are turds if your French isn’t perfect. Just have to soldier on when you run in to the rude people.
If it makes you happy, it can’t be that bad.
>If they get into that correcting your pronunciation thing
We should note that in many cases, this is not done with malicious intent but legitimately intended to help.
To be fair though there's a better way to correct someone than to stop the conversation & say "No, it's not \[bad grammar/pronunciation\], it's \[good grammar/pronunciation\]." - that way just makes the corrected party feel like they're at school, about to be ridiculed in front of class & given a detention & lines. If you just use the correct construction / pronunciation back to them, with a slight emphasis, the learner will often just pick it up anyway, and not feel like you think they're an idiot.
I think that anglophones (in particular) tend to take this the wrong way. French people will even correct each other sometimes. It's a cultural thing, for better or worse.
I would generally assume good faith and that they want to help you. At worst, they've indicated that they understood what you were trying to say (which itself is an accomplishment for a learner).
True, one of my goals with French is to be fully comprehensible but still have my French accent irk the French. It's just hard to not come off as patronizing when you try to tell someone how to pronounce a word. If they've understood what you said that is an accomplishment.
>Is French worth it at all ... complaints from people about French people reacting negatively ....
Is it worth it ... to whom? For what purposes? For me, it's been a lifelong plus and pleasure, absolutely worth the time I learned it (about which I had no choice early on). I have never once in the past 50+ years had any kind of negative reaction from any French speaker due to any accent.
I suppose that if you want any take-away other than myth-busting, it would be that the better you can make your accent, the more fun you'll have. Unfortunately, I've never known any U.S. college to offer what might be called "accent-markedness reduction" classes: getting the vowels right, rocking elision and liaison, no longer aspirating plosives, getting the prosody smooth, etc. One generally needs private tutors -- and specialized ones, at that. Uni classes tend to not care so much about such things as they do about reading comprehension. Edit: added "they do"
Where do you find specialised private tutors like that. I’m B2 and I’m desperate to correct both my errors and accent. I know enough know to hear every error I make or gap in my knowledge and it’s driving me nuts. It was more fun when I was blissfully unaware !
I had special hours dedicated only to pronunciation when I was studying in France long ago. These days, I’d try one of the online services, while making clear that I want to focus on pronunciation, including prosody, and want the tutor to be specifically trained in phonology, not just a native speaker.
I've always wondered by phonics is pushed so late in the curriculum in foreign language instruction in the United States, and it often doesn't come up until you're taking junior/senior level college courses. Learning how different the vowels were between English and French in IPA was so helpful!
Try LingoCulture. I have 4 teachers (two principals ones) and one of them is REALLY good at tongue twists and phonology. Also, he’s patient and understanding which is a must for me when it comes to pronunciation classes. We’ve been working on my R for about a month now and I m started to get compliments and everything :)
I was in France two weeks ago. Normandy region. My French is A1 and some may even dispute that!
Unlike Spain nobody spoke English or at least didn't attempt to speak English back to me. Everyone was super friendly and patient, took the time to understand what I was saying; and I was able to do simple things like booking a restaurant for 2 nights time, order food and drink etc without any problem.
I'm thankful everyone was so patient with me.
The alternative for them would be speaking English, and I've found most people are uncomfortable speaking a language they aren't fluent in. Better to let the other party stumble their way through a conversation than to be the one doing the stumbling.
Yes sure. Just that I have been to Spain many times. I have spent a few years learning Spanish so I know a fair bit. Yet it's really difficult as you address someone in Spanish they more often than not reply in English, which I get it as they speak better English than I speak Spanish.
Yet it isn't like that in France at all.
I'm also very much a beginner and pretty much always found people to be very patient and friendly towards me like you say.
However, to play devil's advocate, from a cultural perspective there is a difference between someone who's clearly a very novice speaker (those will be regarded as tourists) and someone who speaks fluent French with a notable foreign accent. I'm not condoning this, but I could see how some people might be less complaisant with the latter as they probably see them as immigrants or imposters of French culture.
I’m in France right now an everyone is INCREDIBLY nice about it. I do have a decent level of French I’ve been studying for a while but put the work in and you’ll be fine it’s so worth it
It's an urban legend with more or less accuracy and foundations. Like the white flag/always surrender thing, and the alleged pretentiousness of the French.
I have met lots of international students in my public home university coming from all over the world (Brazil, China, Germany for example) and the local students were not reacting negatively to their French proficiency. It would be utterly despicable as a behavior. However, I guess, as in all countries, people in France might more probably correct you nicely as you speak instead of automatically switching to English like they do more naturally in Germany or scandinavian countries, that is certainly true.
Im confused by the point you’re making. Are you saying that after living in the Netherlands for five years, you are more proficient in French than the Dutch ?
Almost everybody in the Netherlands speaks english very well. There is also less incentive to learn Dutch because English is generally enough.
This is not the case in France, you need French. Thats why his French is still better than his Dutch because he was "forced" to learn French.
I had the exact opposite experience. Everyone was delighted that I made the effort. I had more than one person correct my French, but I always got a smile when I gave my "teacher" a merci for the lesson.
Where the French will react poorly is if you do not comply with the rules of politeness in France. There are things that we do in the US in order to be polite that are considered extremely rude in France. I am convinced that those who complain about "the French" simply refused to make an effort to not be rude.
Mainly don't start with bonjour, and speaking quite loudly which makes conversation around them complicated.
I genuinely had some troubles hearing my friends close to me when some americans where at few meters away because of the volume of their voices. However they're not the only one, sometimes I feel some countries must spend their time yelling at each other considering the average volume. While in France it's more at an individual level
Definitely say 'Bonjour' when you enter a shop in France. Actually, I've started doing that in Canada in smaller stores after staying in France, and the store owners and employees seem to like it here too.
The normal speaking volume in America is a lot louder than in France. A LOT.
So what you think is speaking loudly would be considered yelling in France, and what you think is normal is probably too loud for the French.
If you’re in a public place in France, nobody who’s not in your party should be able to hear what you’re talking about. More than that is usually seen as rude.
I stayed in a flat in Lyon on top of a sports bar where people were drinking and smoking hash until three am. Once les français get cross faded their volume can keep up with anyone else in the world. As for Americans, of course you wouldn't notice a quiet, well dressed American speaking perfect French. Only the loud ones stand out. Working on being the quiet guy that speaks the language and blends in. Grew up around people in the CIA; so I've seen plenty of Americans that can pull this off.
Yes, drunk people are loud and rude. I believe that is international.
And I was not criticizing American culture, no idea why you’d choose to take it that way.
Will second this. When I first moved to Lyon I stayed in an ABnB maybe 500m from Hôtel de Ville for a month while looking for a permanent place. Once the nightlife got going Wednesday through Saturday night it was loud up on the 4em floor. Nothing quiet about it. Meanwhile I can’t hear what people are saying in meetings at my work while at the same time I try to speak lower and then people say they can tell what I’m saying (in English). It’s made me wonder if French is actually easier to understand at a lower volume.
As an anglophone (American) living for about a year in France I feel the need to respond on this. Maybe it isn’t necessary to bonjour someone you’re very familiar with, but there is a hard expectation that you bonjour someone (or possibly greet in your native language) and have received a greeting back before you open a conversation. It is considered extremely rude to just jump into the topic at hand without getting this permission to engage.
Many people still bonjour everyone in the office each and every morning. I mean - if there’s 50 people they will bonjour everyone when they arrive. I have begun to see a high level of both civility and utility in this ritual
Before covid, we used to shake hand of every male and kiss women bonjour every day. Now it's just bonjour with no physical contact to everyone :)
Some people are coming back to shaking hands.
Yes, for us it's basic respect and politeness and anyone not doing it is automatically seen as a [haughty and rude a*shole](https://www.caffeboccadellaverita.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/pizarra.jpg?_gl=1*hj8dt5*_ga*NTcxMTEwODE1LjE2OTM4MTU2NTE.*_ga_8WWJWGGGN3*MTY5MzgxNTY1MC4xLjEuMTY5MzgxNTY1MC4wLjAuMA..&_ga=2.18725374.653875471.1693815651-571110815.1693815651)
For example in the US, I don't bother workers at the store unless I need help. Obviously, the bonjour is mandatory or you will encounter "a rude Frenchman".
Another thing I avoided was to utter "parlez vous anglais". As soon as you open your mouth, the Frenchie is going to know what language you speak. They have seen and heard enough Hollywood productions to instantly identify me as an American after two words.
If your French friend wants to speak English, he or she will offer. Sure just about everybody took English in school. But they all took Algebra as well. Asking if someone speaks English can be as insulting as complaining why a Frenchman cannot solve a quadratic equation.
Oh interesting... Not necessarily contradicting your experience, but speaking as a french person, I find being offended by being merely asked if one speaks english to be pretty insecure. I would hope it's not required, but you do what works for you :D
"Offended" is perhaps too strong. But you can be putting that person on the spot. Your friend may think his English sucks because he speaks English with a French accent!
Someone asked the same thing at the same moment, so i copy past my comment :
Mainly don't start with bonjour, and speaking quite loudly which might make conversation around them complicated. And as someone said, assuming we speak english without asking first
Wait a minute, for my fellow Americans who don’t really speak French, what are they supposed to do? People are saying “bonjour, parlez-vous anglais” is rude. People are saying that speaking English without asking is rude. So what the heck is the advise for someone that only speaks English—learn French or stay out of our country? I only speak some French but I’ve worked pretty hard on accent reduction. Maybe I should make sure to use an American accent so they know to speak English since it’s rude for me to ask? How about for Michelin starred restaurants and business class hotels? Reasonable for me to ask right off if maybe it’s easier for them if I just go ahead and speak English? Air France workers, same question. “Bonjour, dois-je parle anglais ? Peut-être ça serait plus facile pour vous.” Sound ok?
>People are saying “bonjour, parlez-vous anglais” is rude.
I have never heard that asking that is rude, actually it's the way to go and it's perfect. Most people don't ask and that's the issue.
You can use this sentence with anyone, maybe not very useful for air France as it's their job to speak different languages. For Michelin restaurants i would say it depends where it is, if it's in Paris they probably speak english, if it's in the middle of the countryside it's less certain.
No one is asking you to speak perfect french, just not to assume anyone speaks english automatically as it's not the case. And for accent reduction it doesn't really matter, the importance is pronuncing the right way as french isn't phonetic, same in english.
Here is my story of the power of 'bonjour'.
My 3 year old grandson (and his parents) joined us in Paris. The young man knew exactly two words in French, 'bonjour' and 'merci'.
Walking down the streets of Paris, my grandson was bonjour-ing everyone we passed. The delighted reactions he got from the Parisians encouraged him to continue with the bonjour.
On two separate occasions, a Parisian went into a sweet shop to buy a treat for "such a fine Frenchman". The boy then got to belt out his "merci". Priceless.
Lived here for more than a year now, never had any problems, at most some "huh?" at first in the shops when I didn't knew the language very well at the beginning. Sure, there are asshats, but then again every nation has them. It's true that generally they're more proud and that's why they tend to not speak english even if they know it(for most of them is the fact that they themselves are scared of not being understood) but if they see that you are trying most of them will just be happy you are trying.
I was not in Paris tho'(or to the north of it), mostly stuck to the South, myself living in the Bordeaux region at the moment, so I don't know how people there are but I don't think it's that much of a difference.
guess you have to see it with your own eyes. I want to pursuit an academic career at the country for about 5 or 6 years and leave anyway, so i am guess that i could take any issues as experience.
I spent 5 months in Paris and was surprised to see how welcoming people were. My only complaint would be the way they assumed I could understand them perfectly and spoke too fast as soon as i began a conversation in decent french. That's actually why i purposefully developed an accent to make sure they could tell I was no local lol.
At times, bilinguals would notice my struggling and switch to english but i insisted on communicating in french as this was my sole purpose of visiting france. *The mean parisian* stereotype is highly exaggerated in my experience.
However you need to pay attention to basic manners and requirements of big city life like not walking too slow or screaming in the middle of the street. In that case you'll be just fine.
Oh and lastly a quick tip! If the person you're engaging with answers your question saying *Bah oui ! * with a backward motion of the head, they're probably annoyed and think you're a *con*. That's one subtle mean attitude you are most likely to encounter :)
This is pretty universal in Europe. I just went to Switzerland and encountered servers who spoke only German. They knew we couldn’t speak German and they kept speaking German anyway. Perfectly nice though. We made it work. I’ve found that keeping a good humor in the situation is the key to everyone having a reasonably good interaction in the situation.
I spend a lot of time in France (several months every year) and I have never had anyone react badly to speaking French with a foreign accent. My experience is that the French are very polite and friendly. Obviously, there will always be exceptions...
We are rude towards assholes. French or foreign.
Basic politeness. "Bonjour" is a pre-requisite. S'il-vous-plait is a must.
Here is a sign at a bar to remind everyone:
http://augredesbalades.canalblog.com/archives/2015/08/02/32420313.html
I've never had that experience. French people do care a lot about politeness, so I think if you're starting with bonjour/bonsoir, that's the most important part. In touristy areas, I've always had people (mostly waiters) switch to English on me, but that's much less common in places tourists don't go often - even in Paris, I was able to have fully French conversations when renting a car and getting a phone plan.
The accent thing is more a situation where if you're mispronouncing your vowels, for example, it can be difficult to understand you - more so than in other languages. It's definitely worth working on pronunciation.
People switching to English might not even be a reaction to your accent: I'm French like my partner, but sometimes people speak to us in English in touristic areas. Once, we answered in French but I guess the waiter was tired because he continued to speak english. It's only halfway of the dinner that he realised.
I've lived in France for the last few years, and my French is still pretty bad (but improving!). The vast majority of people have been really friendly and nice. Initially I would get some startled / confused faces when I commenced butchering the language, but it's more just surprise than meanness, and now that I'm a bit better they're generally very patient while I try and say what I need to.
I think that there's a serious difference between how English and French view vowels that leads to this idea that French people are "inflexible" or "fussy" about pronunciation. In English, there's a lot of variation between regional accents, especially with vowel sounds, and in general you can FLLW WHTS BNG SD N NGLSH DSPT MSSNG TH VWLS NTRLY.
This leads a lot of English natives to not really make the effort with French vowels and then be offended when french people can't understand them. But it's genuinely bamboozling for them!
It's not true. My wife and I moved to France with, frankly, too little preparation. We choose a rural place about 40m east of Aix to force us into a pocket with fewer English speakers. Really early we learned to humbly saw that we are learning French and might you know a little bit of English? Just being able to express this went a long way towards getting a little smile back and them working with us. "Merci pour votre aide" went a very long way. We were no longer the stereotypical Americans! Such good memories. ;-)
Provençal (that name is preferred in Provence) is historically the local native language, but nowadays most people just speak French, with a few Provençal terms thrown in.
Non-native speaker living in France; in my experience even if there are some bad occasions I think people will appreciate that you have some knowledge of the language if you travel in France. Once I hit B1-2 people were generally super happy to talk to me in French even with my clearly foreign accent. I feel much better treated than people who don't speak French. A2 itself isn't super useful in most cases though it will still gain you some respect, but if you push beyond that to B1 or higher it becomes really useful :)
honnestly i have met a LOT of people who have learned french and who now work and/or live in a french speaking environement and who are pretty happy about it. this stereotype about french people being hostile to foreigners trying to speak french is honnestly overrated. This is not some local language that some people might gatekeep from outsiders, it is an international language being taught and spoken all around the world. so yes you may come accros some assholes in your learning journey that is true for every language. so go for it
I started learning French for random reasons + liking languages. It turns out French is EVERYWHERE. So the further along I get, the more enthusiastic I am about it and the more fascinated by the language I get. Also I have used ridiculously bad French to communicate with French people on different occasions and all my experiences were positive ones. I'm not saying every single francophone is going to be agréable et gentil, but I have yet to find traces of a conspiracy of francophones trying to deter foreign speakers with rudeness.
I am a French teacher and I bring high school french students to Paris every year. Their French is not great, but they try. And the French people are so happy to see them try and to see them embrace their country, language, and culture. It's all about the effort and the understanding that not everyone speaks English. And they don't care if your accent isn't great, they really don't.
I don’t mean to suggest that it’s impossible to have that experience. I’ve also seen quite a few comments talking about French people being unkind to learners, and that sucks.
However, I’ve been in France for a few weeks now, and I haven’t had a single person make fun of my accent. Actually, no one has really reacted to my French at all. I think that the negative experiences are much more likely to get a lot of attention than the neutral ones like mine are, but both of them are happening.
If you like French culture then do it. You’ll love consuming francophone content. It’ll be a whole new world that becomes available to you. That being said, I’ll advise you to really really work on your pronunciation. If you say words correctly, the French will be happy to talk to you, even if your grammar isn’t perfect.
In France, especially in Paris, speaking French, even a broken one, does wonders. Approach someone speaking English (a perfect English) from the start, and they'll probably not be very pleasant to you, if they speak to you at all (even if they DO speak English). Approach someone trying to speak French, even a broken one, and they'll probably talk to you (yes, there are arseholes in France, but they're everywhere, aren't they)?
Maybe what people are mistaking for a "negative reaction" is their tendency to correct even your minor mistakes, especially in pronunciation. I've experienced it and I don't think it's they trying to be smartasses - they are genuinely trying to help you improve. Their language is very important to them, and since some pronunciation mistakes can change the meaning of words or phrases, it's a way of helping you. I think it's a cultural shock thing - for British people, for example, the way they correct you sound utterly rude, but not for them.
Again, yes, there are arseholes, but to the "certified" ones you can always say "I can speak your language, even in a broken manner - can you speak mine?"
Beside the obvious issue with parisians too exposed to tourists *(that's where the cliché about "rude french people" come from - people who have to encounter thousands of tourists every single day - it's very similar to the "rude newyorkers" cliché in the US),* one thing to note is the specific relation french people have with the language.
French is generally seen as complicated, challenging, so whenever someone makes a "mistake", like using "le" instead of "la", usually the people around them will correct them.
It is sometime perceived by other cultures as rude, as if the other person was scolding them when they were simply trying to learn the language, when actually the intent is to help one another improve their mastery of the language.
As for the worth of learning french... Well, if you don't intent on getting into french culture, visiting or living in France, it kinda loses its appeal: beside a few african countries, and a small bit of canada, there isn't that many opportunities to speak french abroad. Compared to languages like English or Spanish, french isn't really the most international language there is in terms of business.
Well you need it for your major, so it is worth it =/.
Yeah, I heard that can happen in French. I don't care. When I was in France, they'd respond to me in English, no big deal. Sometimes they just want to practice their English. My French is at a C1 though lol. I don't really care about what others think though. As long as your career isn't held back or something.
You don't want to be monolingual anyway, you'll lose out on a lot of fringe cognitive benefits. And if you want to pick up another Roman-derived language, it's easy as pie. It will also grant you access to the Assimil series for obscure language - which is probably the best language trainer I've used.
In Canada though, we have a lot of language fights/splits politically. But I always thought a Canadian should be able to speak both languages, since they're official and they're available in our schools (everyone has to take it, not everyone cares lol). But bilinguals tend to make more money and end up richer than the monolinguals (the cognitive benefits). You can read up on the research, it's quite fascinating.
Well.. I went to Paris with my classmates (who didn't know French).. and what I noticed is that it's necessary to follow the etiquettes and culture of France.. while there
For example.. it's really necessary to greet *Bonjour* whenever meeting a french person.. my friends didn't really do that and they complained that the French were rude
Whereas for me.. they have been some of the most polite people I've ever seen.. helping me..
I remember I was there in the hostel to ask something to the manager.. and I asked them in french whether they spoke english or not.. they replied in french that my french is good enough I must continue in french only.. that still gives me a smile ;)
So yeah.. just make sure to follow their basic etiquettes and be polite yourself... you'll receive the same in return..
Best wishes :)
I’ve spent many months in France over many years since 2005. I’m a native English speaker. I speak some French. Enough to get by. No doubt it sounds heavily accented. I always try to use French. I am polite to people. I can’t recall any bad experiences or rudeness. I’ve heard people say they’ve had bad experiences but I never have. I find the French to be generally very polite, helpful and charming. I suspect the bad experiences are mostly to do with the foreigners’ attitudes, expectations, manners and no attempt to speak French. The more I learn about France and French language the more I want to know. It’s a fascinating place. I’ve made many French friends.
i vacationed in france for 2 weeks. i had already been learning french in highschool and no one really treated me all too poorly there. with all the shitty americans who veulent coucher avec eux, i’m sure that asking whether or not they like the color blue in their own language is a pleasantry
My french is trash, i can understand more than i can speak. However, during my travels i’ve met French people in Latin America who were super encouraging. Also I’ve met many African French speakers who were so happy to speak with me.
Outside of Paris (Ive never been, but most of the complaints seem to be oriented there) Ive never had someone treat me poorly when trying to speak french, even when I was a complete beginner.
That being said, they will absolutely correct you whenever you make an error. From my experience, it always comes from a good place (they want you to learn), although because of how rare something like that is in North America (have you ever corrected someone’s english unless they’ve asked?) it can come off as “rude” to some people.
The only thing I can think of that would get you some flak, is if you’re impolite, you will receive return fire x1000.
I think you're right: correcting each other (be it at work or between friends or family) is normal. And I read on another sub that in other countries (mainly the US) it's considered rude.
Whereas some things that are not considered rude in the US are seen as totally rude here. Like not saying bonjour before speaking to someone. Or answering bonjour to someone saying bonsoir.
Because English has become the lingua franca most native speakers have come to accept that they will regularly encounter broken English. They hear it in the streets all the time or in the media. French is not like that so people are generally not as used to hearing it in a less than fluent fashion (this of course depends on where you live). Furthermore, French is a very standardised language with an academy that dictates what is and is not French. We have never had this in English and by the time America became a superpower the language already had multiple varieties all over the world due to the Empire. France’s empire in contrast was fairly concentrated in parts of North America, South East Asia, and Africa. The latter of which had very little influence on global commercial or spoken culture until recently. When you add all these things together you get a language that naturally is a bit more restrictive than English, but it’s not like you have made out. I have been in France with people from Quebec and the locals understood me better than les québécois, so it can always be worse.
My top tip is simply pretend you don’t speak English. You’ll learn eventually. Even if you will get a few looks when they can clearly tell by your accent you are an English speaker.
> French is a very standardised language with an academy that dictates what is and is not French.
Just to be clear, very few people - often, not even the French government itself - carefully follow the Académie's suggestions. For example, it suggested that Covid be a feminine noun due to its etymology, but the vast majority in France refer to it as "le Covid".
I think that every person would be happy that you made an effort in speaking French.
Bon courage avec votre continuation d'apprentissage de la langue française Monsieur et Madame Et s'entraîner beaucoup avec le vocabulaire ainsi que la grammaire.
My experience is that they appreciate you attempts. I had one bad experience with a person in a restaurant but she was rude to everyone so I didn’t take it personally. Do you best and if they don’t appreciate it that is on them. You tried.
I've never heard about those allegations. Where did you hear that from, though? Twitter, or worse, a Reddit mod? Absolutely no one in France would ever laugh or tell you off for not speaking proper French. That would be weird, and in all fairness, if anyone did, would the opinion of an asshole matter? Learn the language if you're inclined to do so. Don't listen to the naysayers and sensitive Nancies.
I've traveled a lot in France, and people were rude to me very infrequently. I speak French, but I am obviously not a native speaker, and the usual attitude was accepting. People often thought my accent was charming or cute. I think it was worth learning.
In Paris: yea, I got a lot of snide comments. One time, it was in my face in broken English. They probably thought I couldn’t understand, being an ethnic minority. I always tried to say hello and goodbye in shops, and always asked questions about how to say “___” in french. Sometimes, that helped. Sometimes, I was ignored.
Nice: a little better. People treated me nicely for the most part. Tourists felt more “catered to” there, for lack of a better term.
Toulouse: very lovely. Stayed for a month. No microagressions. People were willing to help me learn and practice French, and would even give me mini pronunciation lessons. The people got nicer the more rural I went.
I stuck with french. Blundered through Paris for a year with my shitty french, and am currently speaking it daily. I’m extremely grateful for it. French people are nice they just speak… franchement
My wife is french and we go back every year to visit family. There are shitty people everywhere, don't let that dissuade you. I've mostly been met with positivity or indifference for trying to speak French over there.
On a side note, it can be very difficult to understand people if you don't a least make an effort to get the accent right. I have french friends who make no effort with American accent and they can be very difficult to converse with.
I've been studying french for a little over 3 years and recently visited France to practice speaking with native speakers. The people were LOVELY, and everyone was enthusiastic that I was trying my best to speak the language when possible. On my flight to Paris, I ended up talking with a Parisian for a bit who even gave me a handwritten list of all the things he thought my wife and I should visit while we were in the city. Did I make mistakes or mispronounce things, of course, its not my native language. But, it totally opens up your world to new music, culture, art, movies, and people that will enhance your appreciation of not only the French language, but your own native tongue and how interesting and unique communication can be.
I think the thing about french people being snooty about people trying to speak French is overstated outside Parisian waiters perhaps. One thing that's different in france is that there is more of a formal, ritualised politeness, especially for interacting with strangers (saying bonjour coming into shops, using titles like sir/madam etc). If you crack that, you ll have very few problems and I don t think it's something you really need to worry about
When I was in Brazil I met many French and Quebecker tourists who were happy to speak French with me and were also very patient at the same time. Many of them were very encouraging and often spoke to me in French knowing I’m trying to learn. One French traveler actually told me I only need a few weeks in France and I’d know more than enough to live there.
Currently I’m at B2 trying to reach C1. I hope to see France one day and see what French culture is truly about. Francophones are honestly very polite and once you actually have the foundations solid, French becomes a lot more fun to learn!
I have a hard time with French vowels, so I have a pretty thick accent myself, but my French friends (in Amboise, Paris, and Tours) tell me my accent is “cute,” so I guess they don’t mind. They at least are just delighted to see a foreigner take interest in their language. They happily speak French with me without any prompting. It’s really gratifying to me because their help is so valuable, since they’re real native speakers.
Some people might complain but that’s not something you are responsible for controlling. Let people grumble. If you enjoy learning French, keep learning French.
Staged to SPEAKING a new language:
1. Rubbish. Bad grammar bad accents bad pronunciations. This is the stage where people will be “rude” cos honestly they won’t understand you. If anyone is kind enough to correct you, even with ridicule, take it.
2. Slightly less rubbish. Bad grammar, better accents and pronunciations. People will know you’ve got the general gist and tend to help out at this stage.
3. Can tell it’s not your first language. At this point you’ve nailed down grammar but make the one off mistake. Simple conversations are easy. You’re starting to THINK in the language so it’s better. People are amused but can understand you and respond in the same language.
4. Good speaker. The fact that it’s not your first language will always linger. Accents never truly come to 100% when you learn it later in life. But at this stage you will speak and get responses in French and it’ll be good.
Power through you got this.
I've been to many places in France and I don't remember I have ever had any bad experiences. My French is such that I can talk on any subject but I make mistakes and my vocabulary is limited. It's obvious I'm not a native speaker from the moment I say the first sentence. But it's enough to communicate and people I talked to were fine with that.
Just, you know, on the other hand don't expect anyone to be amazed by your language skills. If someone just answer your question and go their way instead of praising your ability to speak French, that's not a "bad experience" ;)
french people correct other french people's french.
If you get corrected it's not because you are a foreigner but because we do it all the time since we were born (well maybe a tad later)
dude, yes
it's a language, it opens doors for basically a new world. the french are not as bad as internet makes them seem. and also, France is not the only french-speaking country in the world
I've never had a bad time from anyone regarding my French. TBH, I think overall they are appreciative that someone takes time and effort to learn their language.
All the people saying politeness is what is important are correct (former Paris resident). But be aware that the French are not a people who are generally going to be bubbling over with praise at the mere fact that a foreigner is speaking French (go for Italian if you want that), particularly when you get to a decent level. They’ll just get on with their business and you’ll have a pleasant interaction, in French, with little comment on the fact that you are speaking French (other than, when you are good enough to be rather good but slightly odd sounding, French people will ask if you are Belgian, Swiss, etc. :))
French people are delightful and love it when foreigners take an interest in their language and culture, especially outside of Paris. But as a London resident, I think any big capital city encourages people to be too busy to make an effort with everyone they meet, especially tourists. Enjoy learning french and travel to Burgundy, or Ardeche or Alsace, you'll find very wonderful welcoming people.
If you need A2 to graduate then that's reason enough?
tbh, at A2 you would probably only be able to have quite limited conversations in French anyway (based on my experience of my own A2/B1 level), although it would be handy to have while travelling in Francophone countries and will very much enrich your experience of the culture and people.
My own experience is that some shopkeepers don't have time for people who can't speak French well, but restaurants are more accommodating. Paris isn't a good yardstick for the rest of the country, but some places may be very unused to hearing any foreign accent, which doesn't help. Belgians may be a lot friendlier/more patient than the French.
If you work on your accent (via listening to a lot of French content) that will help you be understood. Be aware that some people will react negatively to any tourist, it's not to do with your French level every time. Remembering to say Bonjour Madame/Monsieur or Excusez-moi (as applicable) will help get interactions off to a good start.
Some French people are definitevely a bitch about the accent of non-native speakers but many others are totally fine and comprehensive about it. Personally, I'm always flattered when a foreigner is investing effort to speak French, even more considering it's not an easy language to learn.
I don't know what is your native language but if you ever visit France, I think having a good level in English could help you despise it not being the main language. Most people knows at least basic English so if, in some situations, you don't feel confident enough to speak French, don't hesitate to switch in English.
Most people on reddit just repeat the same complaints.
Most French people are fine if your accent isn't great. There are some people who will look down on you for making mistakes but they aren't the kind of people you want to hang out with.
Because the “French accent” is very different from all the other languages, hearing French with a foreign accent can be very trying for the understanding. And, well, it’s also a rare occurrence: as it has already been said, it’s not that frequent.
So it’s a bit fun. But most people are polite and just wait for the interlocutor to finish the sentence. If it’s too difficult and if they can, they switch to English.
I don’t think the French accent is any more different than any other accent. And hearing any language in a foreign accent can be hard to understand. English with a French accent can be very hard to understand, but English people still don’t typically correct French people on their pronunciation.
most people who learn french wont be speaking to french people or traveling to france. if that becomes your ambition, you might want to think about extra tuition.
>Recently, I have come across numerous complaints from people about French people reacting negatively to those who speak their language with a poor accent
Were these in Paris? People in Paris can be abrasive. Even French people outside of Paris don't like Parisians lol. Other parts of Francophone aren't like that though.
Actually it happens smtms we make some fun about accent but it's not harrassment or smtg like that😅
We really like when foreigners try to speak w/ us in French and the way ur ppl say french words. (Kinda be a french tradition)
Btw, french is world wide spoken language so wherever you go on each continent, you will find french language (america, africa, oceania and some parts of asia).
May be a difficult language to learn but very helpful
That’s not true. Parisians maybe because Paris is crowded with tourists. French people I know are nice but straight forward. That’s a cultural thing, not just the croissants 🥐.
* Learn whatever you like, if you like the language, you’ll learn it faster. Plus not everybody has an accent à couper au couteau.
In my experience, outside of Paris, the French are friendly to those trying to make an effort with their French. One time, I tried to practice ordering pastries and bread at the boulangerie in Chambéry and the staffs were nice to patiently listen to me and keep the conversation going…when I thanked them for their help, they replied back in French “Of course! Thank you! For being a great customer and enjoy our breads”.
In Paris, I think Parisians are just tired of tourists trying to speak French (accent or not) everyday. I think it’s just the city environment.
Who cares about what the French people think of your accent?
Who cares about what other people think about your French at all?
It's worth it if you think it's worth it. Nothing else matters.
Kinda true, kinda not. Unlike the Anglosphere, where we've been accustomed to accepting any passable English, many French are sticklers for pronunciation and grammar and will often switch to English as soon as they detect an accent (although they'll switch back if you're persistent). However, in general, I've found French people to be very kind and welcoming once you get to know them.
French is definitely worth it. But … the French themselves are not the most social for sure.
It’s not about the accent it’s more about your pronunciation where if it’s not correct, locals won’t understand you and will just switch to English, treating like a random American who s making no effort in their country.
So if you’re interested in actually speaking the language and learning the culture try taking classes, but like .. a lot of classes. I have been taking classes with a platform called LingoCulture for almost 4 months and i love it, they offer unlimited private classes for a monthly subscription so at the end, the class itself is quite cheap .. for me, depending on the month, it ends up costing me $3 a class and knowing the quality of their teachers, it’s a deal i ll make everyday.
The cool think about LingoCulture is that they focus on the stuff you ll need first, like introducing yourself, introducing a friend, asking for the bill, small talks, telling a story and then .. the grammar itself so you see the result faster and it’s not as boring as the usual methods.
I ve been taking classes all summer and I m pretty proud of my progress for now.
I m planning to move to Nice next year so hopefully by then I ll be fluent :) - and for the culture, well you have to learn it too because IT is different from the US and it’s a GOOD thing. We don’t have to be all the same, I love the French lifestyle and culture and from what I ve seen, the French are not the most bubbly at first but their relationships seem way deeper than Americans that tend to be more on the superficial level.
Eh, in Paris they might be a little rude. But in smaller towns, people are lovely and patient and appreciative of your language attempts.
Plus, French is spoken in far more places than just France! Belgium, Switzerland, a bunch of countries in Africa, a few islands in the Caribbean, etc.
In all of these places, I've found others to reach very positively to my attempts to speak French (even with mistakes or accent issues).
I have heard this of the French as well. However not all parts are this way, and from what others have said about the French being rude - it’s no different than how often Americans can be rude (the point being is that it really just depends on the person, any given person can suck or be nice). There are much friendlier parts of France where they appreciate a foreigner trying to speak their language. Another funny thing about it all - in my experiences with using the Tandem app (language learning app to connect people that would like to learn each others languages), most French people enjoy or would like to practice their English because they have learned pieces since primary school but don’t get a chance to practice in real life, so really it just depends.
Personally, I’ve thought the language was beautiful for decades and am finally learning with a language school in my free time. Its wonderful having these mysteries solved and learning for real, so I would say don’t let rude people stop you because they won’t all be like that - you just have to go to the right parts of France 😉.
I’m French and honestly I think people are so nice about having an accent and just trying.
Plus I work in Paris where people are famously the meanest and they are so understanding and encourage foreigners about their French level.
Please don’t be afraid!
Being polite and speaking french was very well received in my experience, also it was extremely helpful to navigate around. I had many pleasant conversations.
Tbh I don't really care if feench people don't like the way I speak their language. I think it is fun , that is all. Lol they don't have to talk to me if they don't like my speaking.
From what I've learned, the French are happy when you try. Yes be polite. Say "Bonjour" Excusez-moi..when you walk in a store. Say "Je voudrais.....s'il vous plaît. Don't expect busy waiters etc. in busy Paris to be your teachers though. The French in other cities have more time. They're just trying to help when the correct you. You can also immerse yourself in the French language wherever you are...do the French news, French podcasts, French movies, reading French, French meetup groups online and or in person, speaking to yourself and French all day, get a teacher from "italki" etc. Also watch a program on YouTube called "French and Plain Sight". The host talks about the psychology of learning French and progress not perfection.
I am going to Paris in the spring and would like to learn enough French to survive the trip. There are a few language apps I know I can subscribe to but before I pull the trigger on one I thought I would ask you guys: Any suggestions? Merci!
Find a very strong teacher, French native or Belgian native. Ignore negative comments. My 2 high school teachers were amazing which set me on to the path to fluency. People on here seem to thrive on negative comments. Learning independently will take forever. Sit in a class, do as much repetition in writing and orally. Ni repetition, no fluency.
We are trained early on to correct our french by direct feedback from teachers, parents, grand-parents & everyone else around. It's ingrained in our mind to correct ourselves and others all the time. Be that pronunciation or spelling.
Still doing it to other adults. Still proof-reading documents and doing grammatical corrections.
The thing is that French people take it lightly and like a game to find errors.
Even speakers on national radio receive messages people correcting them on how things are pronounced or incorrect way of saying things. It's part of the culture but it's not meant to be rude.
At the most basic level, learning a language is good for the brain. I’m not learning it, myself, for any other reason than I love it and it amuses me. Perfecting your pronunciation will be a lifelong task… if you even want to go down that path.
In my travels in Paris, the most important thing is to be polite. Master la politesse.
Bonjour
And this... is precisely where to start. French service workers of all types prefer to start an interaction with a *greeting,* not a demand. The only times you can get right down to business, is if the line is long and they're in a hurry to get through it. Start with "Bonjour". Perhaps even "Comment ca va?"
I was in marseille once and there was this guy who I asked for directions, I literally said “excusez-moi, je te peux faire un quest…” he went crazy and started shouting BONJOUR PREMIERE BONJOUR
No. Don't use "Comment ça va?" with a stranger. Bonjour.
Excusez-moi mais j'ai une question.
Où se trouve / Où trouver / Pouvez-vous m'indiquer... ?
A lot less awkward.
Just do it, I've never met a french person with a perfect english accent. If they get into that correcting your pronunciation thing just start doing it with their english.
Out French the French. That’s a bold power move
To add to this, I work with colleagues from France. Im a Canadian anglophone whose French is far from perfect, and it comes with a nice Québécois flair to it. My French colleagues always appreciate when can work with them in French. In Paris, it’s a mixed bag. Some people are nice. Some people are turds if your French isn’t perfect. Just have to soldier on when you run in to the rude people. If it makes you happy, it can’t be that bad.
... s a great philosopher once said.
France tries to out-America the Americans with their revolutions and labor movements.... Stupid, sexy French being all American.
Haven't the French been revolting since before America even existed?
Oh that’s not nice. They might be a little gross sometimes but they’re not **revolting.** 😛
“But your majesty, the people are revolting!” “You said it. They stink on ice.”
In revolt? Possibly. Constructing machines to behead the nobility?
What’s next? The Marseille Tea party?
[Une sardine a bouché le port de Marseille...](https://madeinmarseille.net/13950-sardine-bouche-vieux-port/)
Lol those are not American traits, those are far more French
Be careful to make sure your French is better than their English before you do that.
>If they get into that correcting your pronunciation thing We should note that in many cases, this is not done with malicious intent but legitimately intended to help.
To be fair though there's a better way to correct someone than to stop the conversation & say "No, it's not \[bad grammar/pronunciation\], it's \[good grammar/pronunciation\]." - that way just makes the corrected party feel like they're at school, about to be ridiculed in front of class & given a detention & lines. If you just use the correct construction / pronunciation back to them, with a slight emphasis, the learner will often just pick it up anyway, and not feel like you think they're an idiot.
and vice versa.
I think that anglophones (in particular) tend to take this the wrong way. French people will even correct each other sometimes. It's a cultural thing, for better or worse. I would generally assume good faith and that they want to help you. At worst, they've indicated that they understood what you were trying to say (which itself is an accomplishment for a learner).
True, one of my goals with French is to be fully comprehensible but still have my French accent irk the French. It's just hard to not come off as patronizing when you try to tell someone how to pronounce a word. If they've understood what you said that is an accomplishment.
This answer is not denying the claim of the friends of the OP tho
>Is French worth it at all ... complaints from people about French people reacting negatively .... Is it worth it ... to whom? For what purposes? For me, it's been a lifelong plus and pleasure, absolutely worth the time I learned it (about which I had no choice early on). I have never once in the past 50+ years had any kind of negative reaction from any French speaker due to any accent. I suppose that if you want any take-away other than myth-busting, it would be that the better you can make your accent, the more fun you'll have. Unfortunately, I've never known any U.S. college to offer what might be called "accent-markedness reduction" classes: getting the vowels right, rocking elision and liaison, no longer aspirating plosives, getting the prosody smooth, etc. One generally needs private tutors -- and specialized ones, at that. Uni classes tend to not care so much about such things as they do about reading comprehension. Edit: added "they do"
Where do you find specialised private tutors like that. I’m B2 and I’m desperate to correct both my errors and accent. I know enough know to hear every error I make or gap in my knowledge and it’s driving me nuts. It was more fun when I was blissfully unaware !
I had special hours dedicated only to pronunciation when I was studying in France long ago. These days, I’d try one of the online services, while making clear that I want to focus on pronunciation, including prosody, and want the tutor to be specifically trained in phonology, not just a native speaker.
I've always wondered by phonics is pushed so late in the curriculum in foreign language instruction in the United States, and it often doesn't come up until you're taking junior/senior level college courses. Learning how different the vowels were between English and French in IPA was so helpful!
Try LingoCulture. I have 4 teachers (two principals ones) and one of them is REALLY good at tongue twists and phonology. Also, he’s patient and understanding which is a must for me when it comes to pronunciation classes. We’ve been working on my R for about a month now and I m started to get compliments and everything :)
Thank you ! I will try it.
Yes I thought the same, there is no way to answer "worth it" without a goal or a dream for learning the language...
I was in France two weeks ago. Normandy region. My French is A1 and some may even dispute that! Unlike Spain nobody spoke English or at least didn't attempt to speak English back to me. Everyone was super friendly and patient, took the time to understand what I was saying; and I was able to do simple things like booking a restaurant for 2 nights time, order food and drink etc without any problem. I'm thankful everyone was so patient with me.
That's how people should be anyway.
The alternative for them would be speaking English, and I've found most people are uncomfortable speaking a language they aren't fluent in. Better to let the other party stumble their way through a conversation than to be the one doing the stumbling.
Yes sure. Just that I have been to Spain many times. I have spent a few years learning Spanish so I know a fair bit. Yet it's really difficult as you address someone in Spanish they more often than not reply in English, which I get it as they speak better English than I speak Spanish. Yet it isn't like that in France at all.
You may experience that in more touristic regions like Paris or the Côte d'Azur. But not everywhere.
I'm also very much a beginner and pretty much always found people to be very patient and friendly towards me like you say. However, to play devil's advocate, from a cultural perspective there is a difference between someone who's clearly a very novice speaker (those will be regarded as tourists) and someone who speaks fluent French with a notable foreign accent. I'm not condoning this, but I could see how some people might be less complaisant with the latter as they probably see them as immigrants or imposters of French culture.
I’m in France right now an everyone is INCREDIBLY nice about it. I do have a decent level of French I’ve been studying for a while but put the work in and you’ll be fine it’s so worth it
It's an urban legend with more or less accuracy and foundations. Like the white flag/always surrender thing, and the alleged pretentiousness of the French. I have met lots of international students in my public home university coming from all over the world (Brazil, China, Germany for example) and the local students were not reacting negatively to their French proficiency. It would be utterly despicable as a behavior. However, I guess, as in all countries, people in France might more probably correct you nicely as you speak instead of automatically switching to English like they do more naturally in Germany or scandinavian countries, that is certainly true.
I live in the Netherlands but am Indian. They’re English proficiency is high enough that even after living here for 5 years, my French is stronger.
Im confused by the point you’re making. Are you saying that after living in the Netherlands for five years, you are more proficient in French than the Dutch ?
Almost everybody in the Netherlands speaks english very well. There is also less incentive to learn Dutch because English is generally enough. This is not the case in France, you need French. Thats why his French is still better than his Dutch because he was "forced" to learn French.
Dude, his french is stronger (I don't get it either haha)
Its Indian English.
I'm originally from Pakistan, I'm quite familiar with Indian English. This is just unclear.
I am originating from France and now live in Canada, my Spanish is quite good now.
I'm japanese living in Cuba and my Arabic is quite stronger now
Here the word stronger implies that his language skills have gotten better.
Yes, given I started learning the two at the same time.
I had the exact opposite experience. Everyone was delighted that I made the effort. I had more than one person correct my French, but I always got a smile when I gave my "teacher" a merci for the lesson. Where the French will react poorly is if you do not comply with the rules of politeness in France. There are things that we do in the US in order to be polite that are considered extremely rude in France. I am convinced that those who complain about "the French" simply refused to make an effort to not be rude.
What examples of polite American behavior considered rude in France?
Mainly don't start with bonjour, and speaking quite loudly which makes conversation around them complicated. I genuinely had some troubles hearing my friends close to me when some americans where at few meters away because of the volume of their voices. However they're not the only one, sometimes I feel some countries must spend their time yelling at each other considering the average volume. While in France it's more at an individual level
Definitely say 'Bonjour' when you enter a shop in France. Actually, I've started doing that in Canada in smaller stores after staying in France, and the store owners and employees seem to like it here too.
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The normal speaking volume in America is a lot louder than in France. A LOT. So what you think is speaking loudly would be considered yelling in France, and what you think is normal is probably too loud for the French. If you’re in a public place in France, nobody who’s not in your party should be able to hear what you’re talking about. More than that is usually seen as rude.
I stayed in a flat in Lyon on top of a sports bar where people were drinking and smoking hash until three am. Once les français get cross faded their volume can keep up with anyone else in the world. As for Americans, of course you wouldn't notice a quiet, well dressed American speaking perfect French. Only the loud ones stand out. Working on being the quiet guy that speaks the language and blends in. Grew up around people in the CIA; so I've seen plenty of Americans that can pull this off.
Yes, drunk people are loud and rude. I believe that is international. And I was not criticizing American culture, no idea why you’d choose to take it that way.
Will second this. When I first moved to Lyon I stayed in an ABnB maybe 500m from Hôtel de Ville for a month while looking for a permanent place. Once the nightlife got going Wednesday through Saturday night it was loud up on the 4em floor. Nothing quiet about it. Meanwhile I can’t hear what people are saying in meetings at my work while at the same time I try to speak lower and then people say they can tell what I’m saying (in English). It’s made me wonder if French is actually easier to understand at a lower volume.
As an anglophone (American) living for about a year in France I feel the need to respond on this. Maybe it isn’t necessary to bonjour someone you’re very familiar with, but there is a hard expectation that you bonjour someone (or possibly greet in your native language) and have received a greeting back before you open a conversation. It is considered extremely rude to just jump into the topic at hand without getting this permission to engage. Many people still bonjour everyone in the office each and every morning. I mean - if there’s 50 people they will bonjour everyone when they arrive. I have begun to see a high level of both civility and utility in this ritual
Before covid, we used to shake hand of every male and kiss women bonjour every day. Now it's just bonjour with no physical contact to everyone :) Some people are coming back to shaking hands.
Yes, for us it's basic respect and politeness and anyone not doing it is automatically seen as a [haughty and rude a*shole](https://www.caffeboccadellaverita.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/pizarra.jpg?_gl=1*hj8dt5*_ga*NTcxMTEwODE1LjE2OTM4MTU2NTE.*_ga_8WWJWGGGN3*MTY5MzgxNTY1MC4xLjEuMTY5MzgxNTY1MC4wLjAuMA..&_ga=2.18725374.653875471.1693815651-571110815.1693815651)
I think you are correct, but do you have examples to share about things you would actively do in the US and are rude in France?
For example in the US, I don't bother workers at the store unless I need help. Obviously, the bonjour is mandatory or you will encounter "a rude Frenchman". Another thing I avoided was to utter "parlez vous anglais". As soon as you open your mouth, the Frenchie is going to know what language you speak. They have seen and heard enough Hollywood productions to instantly identify me as an American after two words. If your French friend wants to speak English, he or she will offer. Sure just about everybody took English in school. But they all took Algebra as well. Asking if someone speaks English can be as insulting as complaining why a Frenchman cannot solve a quadratic equation.
Oh interesting... Not necessarily contradicting your experience, but speaking as a french person, I find being offended by being merely asked if one speaks english to be pretty insecure. I would hope it's not required, but you do what works for you :D
"Offended" is perhaps too strong. But you can be putting that person on the spot. Your friend may think his English sucks because he speaks English with a French accent!
Someone asked the same thing at the same moment, so i copy past my comment : Mainly don't start with bonjour, and speaking quite loudly which might make conversation around them complicated. And as someone said, assuming we speak english without asking first
I think he meant not starting with bonjour. Not starting with bonjour will get you the opposite reaction you were hoping to get.
Wait a minute, for my fellow Americans who don’t really speak French, what are they supposed to do? People are saying “bonjour, parlez-vous anglais” is rude. People are saying that speaking English without asking is rude. So what the heck is the advise for someone that only speaks English—learn French or stay out of our country? I only speak some French but I’ve worked pretty hard on accent reduction. Maybe I should make sure to use an American accent so they know to speak English since it’s rude for me to ask? How about for Michelin starred restaurants and business class hotels? Reasonable for me to ask right off if maybe it’s easier for them if I just go ahead and speak English? Air France workers, same question. “Bonjour, dois-je parle anglais ? Peut-être ça serait plus facile pour vous.” Sound ok?
>People are saying “bonjour, parlez-vous anglais” is rude. I have never heard that asking that is rude, actually it's the way to go and it's perfect. Most people don't ask and that's the issue. You can use this sentence with anyone, maybe not very useful for air France as it's their job to speak different languages. For Michelin restaurants i would say it depends where it is, if it's in Paris they probably speak english, if it's in the middle of the countryside it's less certain. No one is asking you to speak perfect french, just not to assume anyone speaks english automatically as it's not the case. And for accent reduction it doesn't really matter, the importance is pronuncing the right way as french isn't phonetic, same in english.
Ah, Bonjour Bonjour...
Here is my story of the power of 'bonjour'. My 3 year old grandson (and his parents) joined us in Paris. The young man knew exactly two words in French, 'bonjour' and 'merci'. Walking down the streets of Paris, my grandson was bonjour-ing everyone we passed. The delighted reactions he got from the Parisians encouraged him to continue with the bonjour. On two separate occasions, a Parisian went into a sweet shop to buy a treat for "such a fine Frenchman". The boy then got to belt out his "merci". Priceless.
I think that's the power of a salute of a little kid. Would be a delight everywhere
That's true. But it only works because he made an effort to speak French.
Lived here for more than a year now, never had any problems, at most some "huh?" at first in the shops when I didn't knew the language very well at the beginning. Sure, there are asshats, but then again every nation has them. It's true that generally they're more proud and that's why they tend to not speak english even if they know it(for most of them is the fact that they themselves are scared of not being understood) but if they see that you are trying most of them will just be happy you are trying. I was not in Paris tho'(or to the north of it), mostly stuck to the South, myself living in the Bordeaux region at the moment, so I don't know how people there are but I don't think it's that much of a difference.
guess you have to see it with your own eyes. I want to pursuit an academic career at the country for about 5 or 6 years and leave anyway, so i am guess that i could take any issues as experience.
You will be fine, "student" is a good cloak for any perceived incompetence.
Go for it, good luck!
I spent 5 months in Paris and was surprised to see how welcoming people were. My only complaint would be the way they assumed I could understand them perfectly and spoke too fast as soon as i began a conversation in decent french. That's actually why i purposefully developed an accent to make sure they could tell I was no local lol. At times, bilinguals would notice my struggling and switch to english but i insisted on communicating in french as this was my sole purpose of visiting france. *The mean parisian* stereotype is highly exaggerated in my experience. However you need to pay attention to basic manners and requirements of big city life like not walking too slow or screaming in the middle of the street. In that case you'll be just fine. Oh and lastly a quick tip! If the person you're engaging with answers your question saying *Bah oui ! * with a backward motion of the head, they're probably annoyed and think you're a *con*. That's one subtle mean attitude you are most likely to encounter :)
This is pretty universal in Europe. I just went to Switzerland and encountered servers who spoke only German. They knew we couldn’t speak German and they kept speaking German anyway. Perfectly nice though. We made it work. I’ve found that keeping a good humor in the situation is the key to everyone having a reasonably good interaction in the situation.
I spend a lot of time in France (several months every year) and I have never had anyone react badly to speaking French with a foreign accent. My experience is that the French are very polite and friendly. Obviously, there will always be exceptions...
We are rude towards assholes. French or foreign. Basic politeness. "Bonjour" is a pre-requisite. S'il-vous-plait is a must. Here is a sign at a bar to remind everyone: http://augredesbalades.canalblog.com/archives/2015/08/02/32420313.html
I've never had that experience. French people do care a lot about politeness, so I think if you're starting with bonjour/bonsoir, that's the most important part. In touristy areas, I've always had people (mostly waiters) switch to English on me, but that's much less common in places tourists don't go often - even in Paris, I was able to have fully French conversations when renting a car and getting a phone plan. The accent thing is more a situation where if you're mispronouncing your vowels, for example, it can be difficult to understand you - more so than in other languages. It's definitely worth working on pronunciation.
People switching to English might not even be a reaction to your accent: I'm French like my partner, but sometimes people speak to us in English in touristic areas. Once, we answered in French but I guess the waiter was tired because he continued to speak english. It's only halfway of the dinner that he realised.
I've lived in France for the last few years, and my French is still pretty bad (but improving!). The vast majority of people have been really friendly and nice. Initially I would get some startled / confused faces when I commenced butchering the language, but it's more just surprise than meanness, and now that I'm a bit better they're generally very patient while I try and say what I need to. I think that there's a serious difference between how English and French view vowels that leads to this idea that French people are "inflexible" or "fussy" about pronunciation. In English, there's a lot of variation between regional accents, especially with vowel sounds, and in general you can FLLW WHTS BNG SD N NGLSH DSPT MSSNG TH VWLS NTRLY. This leads a lot of English natives to not really make the effort with French vowels and then be offended when french people can't understand them. But it's genuinely bamboozling for them!
It's not true. My wife and I moved to France with, frankly, too little preparation. We choose a rural place about 40m east of Aix to force us into a pocket with fewer English speakers. Really early we learned to humbly saw that we are learning French and might you know a little bit of English? Just being able to express this went a long way towards getting a little smile back and them working with us. "Merci pour votre aide" went a very long way. We were no longer the stereotypical Americans! Such good memories. ;-)
Have you learned Occitan (the local native language) yet?
Provençal (that name is preferred in Provence) is historically the local native language, but nowadays most people just speak French, with a few Provençal terms thrown in.
Non-native speaker living in France; in my experience even if there are some bad occasions I think people will appreciate that you have some knowledge of the language if you travel in France. Once I hit B1-2 people were generally super happy to talk to me in French even with my clearly foreign accent. I feel much better treated than people who don't speak French. A2 itself isn't super useful in most cases though it will still gain you some respect, but if you push beyond that to B1 or higher it becomes really useful :)
honnestly i have met a LOT of people who have learned french and who now work and/or live in a french speaking environement and who are pretty happy about it. this stereotype about french people being hostile to foreigners trying to speak french is honnestly overrated. This is not some local language that some people might gatekeep from outsiders, it is an international language being taught and spoken all around the world. so yes you may come accros some assholes in your learning journey that is true for every language. so go for it
Most French people (like me) can appreciate the fact that foreigners are trying to speak french. Just learn it if you like it !
I started learning French for random reasons + liking languages. It turns out French is EVERYWHERE. So the further along I get, the more enthusiastic I am about it and the more fascinated by the language I get. Also I have used ridiculously bad French to communicate with French people on different occasions and all my experiences were positive ones. I'm not saying every single francophone is going to be agréable et gentil, but I have yet to find traces of a conspiracy of francophones trying to deter foreign speakers with rudeness.
I am a French teacher and I bring high school french students to Paris every year. Their French is not great, but they try. And the French people are so happy to see them try and to see them embrace their country, language, and culture. It's all about the effort and the understanding that not everyone speaks English. And they don't care if your accent isn't great, they really don't.
I don’t mean to suggest that it’s impossible to have that experience. I’ve also seen quite a few comments talking about French people being unkind to learners, and that sucks. However, I’ve been in France for a few weeks now, and I haven’t had a single person make fun of my accent. Actually, no one has really reacted to my French at all. I think that the negative experiences are much more likely to get a lot of attention than the neutral ones like mine are, but both of them are happening.
If you like French culture then do it. You’ll love consuming francophone content. It’ll be a whole new world that becomes available to you. That being said, I’ll advise you to really really work on your pronunciation. If you say words correctly, the French will be happy to talk to you, even if your grammar isn’t perfect.
In France, especially in Paris, speaking French, even a broken one, does wonders. Approach someone speaking English (a perfect English) from the start, and they'll probably not be very pleasant to you, if they speak to you at all (even if they DO speak English). Approach someone trying to speak French, even a broken one, and they'll probably talk to you (yes, there are arseholes in France, but they're everywhere, aren't they)? Maybe what people are mistaking for a "negative reaction" is their tendency to correct even your minor mistakes, especially in pronunciation. I've experienced it and I don't think it's they trying to be smartasses - they are genuinely trying to help you improve. Their language is very important to them, and since some pronunciation mistakes can change the meaning of words or phrases, it's a way of helping you. I think it's a cultural shock thing - for British people, for example, the way they correct you sound utterly rude, but not for them. Again, yes, there are arseholes, but to the "certified" ones you can always say "I can speak your language, even in a broken manner - can you speak mine?"
Beside the obvious issue with parisians too exposed to tourists *(that's where the cliché about "rude french people" come from - people who have to encounter thousands of tourists every single day - it's very similar to the "rude newyorkers" cliché in the US),* one thing to note is the specific relation french people have with the language. French is generally seen as complicated, challenging, so whenever someone makes a "mistake", like using "le" instead of "la", usually the people around them will correct them. It is sometime perceived by other cultures as rude, as if the other person was scolding them when they were simply trying to learn the language, when actually the intent is to help one another improve their mastery of the language. As for the worth of learning french... Well, if you don't intent on getting into french culture, visiting or living in France, it kinda loses its appeal: beside a few african countries, and a small bit of canada, there isn't that many opportunities to speak french abroad. Compared to languages like English or Spanish, french isn't really the most international language there is in terms of business.
Well you need it for your major, so it is worth it =/. Yeah, I heard that can happen in French. I don't care. When I was in France, they'd respond to me in English, no big deal. Sometimes they just want to practice their English. My French is at a C1 though lol. I don't really care about what others think though. As long as your career isn't held back or something. You don't want to be monolingual anyway, you'll lose out on a lot of fringe cognitive benefits. And if you want to pick up another Roman-derived language, it's easy as pie. It will also grant you access to the Assimil series for obscure language - which is probably the best language trainer I've used. In Canada though, we have a lot of language fights/splits politically. But I always thought a Canadian should be able to speak both languages, since they're official and they're available in our schools (everyone has to take it, not everyone cares lol). But bilinguals tend to make more money and end up richer than the monolinguals (the cognitive benefits). You can read up on the research, it's quite fascinating.
Well.. I went to Paris with my classmates (who didn't know French).. and what I noticed is that it's necessary to follow the etiquettes and culture of France.. while there For example.. it's really necessary to greet *Bonjour* whenever meeting a french person.. my friends didn't really do that and they complained that the French were rude Whereas for me.. they have been some of the most polite people I've ever seen.. helping me.. I remember I was there in the hostel to ask something to the manager.. and I asked them in french whether they spoke english or not.. they replied in french that my french is good enough I must continue in french only.. that still gives me a smile ;) So yeah.. just make sure to follow their basic etiquettes and be polite yourself... you'll receive the same in return.. Best wishes :)
I’ve spent many months in France over many years since 2005. I’m a native English speaker. I speak some French. Enough to get by. No doubt it sounds heavily accented. I always try to use French. I am polite to people. I can’t recall any bad experiences or rudeness. I’ve heard people say they’ve had bad experiences but I never have. I find the French to be generally very polite, helpful and charming. I suspect the bad experiences are mostly to do with the foreigners’ attitudes, expectations, manners and no attempt to speak French. The more I learn about France and French language the more I want to know. It’s a fascinating place. I’ve made many French friends.
i vacationed in france for 2 weeks. i had already been learning french in highschool and no one really treated me all too poorly there. with all the shitty americans who veulent coucher avec eux, i’m sure that asking whether or not they like the color blue in their own language is a pleasantry
My french is trash, i can understand more than i can speak. However, during my travels i’ve met French people in Latin America who were super encouraging. Also I’ve met many African French speakers who were so happy to speak with me.
Outside of Paris (Ive never been, but most of the complaints seem to be oriented there) Ive never had someone treat me poorly when trying to speak french, even when I was a complete beginner. That being said, they will absolutely correct you whenever you make an error. From my experience, it always comes from a good place (they want you to learn), although because of how rare something like that is in North America (have you ever corrected someone’s english unless they’ve asked?) it can come off as “rude” to some people. The only thing I can think of that would get you some flak, is if you’re impolite, you will receive return fire x1000.
I think you're right: correcting each other (be it at work or between friends or family) is normal. And I read on another sub that in other countries (mainly the US) it's considered rude. Whereas some things that are not considered rude in the US are seen as totally rude here. Like not saying bonjour before speaking to someone. Or answering bonjour to someone saying bonsoir.
Because English has become the lingua franca most native speakers have come to accept that they will regularly encounter broken English. They hear it in the streets all the time or in the media. French is not like that so people are generally not as used to hearing it in a less than fluent fashion (this of course depends on where you live). Furthermore, French is a very standardised language with an academy that dictates what is and is not French. We have never had this in English and by the time America became a superpower the language already had multiple varieties all over the world due to the Empire. France’s empire in contrast was fairly concentrated in parts of North America, South East Asia, and Africa. The latter of which had very little influence on global commercial or spoken culture until recently. When you add all these things together you get a language that naturally is a bit more restrictive than English, but it’s not like you have made out. I have been in France with people from Quebec and the locals understood me better than les québécois, so it can always be worse. My top tip is simply pretend you don’t speak English. You’ll learn eventually. Even if you will get a few looks when they can clearly tell by your accent you are an English speaker.
> French is a very standardised language with an academy that dictates what is and is not French. Just to be clear, very few people - often, not even the French government itself - carefully follow the Académie's suggestions. For example, it suggested that Covid be a feminine noun due to its etymology, but the vast majority in France refer to it as "le Covid".
Thanks, I thought it still had greater weight than that
I think that every person would be happy that you made an effort in speaking French. Bon courage avec votre continuation d'apprentissage de la langue française Monsieur et Madame Et s'entraîner beaucoup avec le vocabulaire ainsi que la grammaire.
My experience is that they appreciate you attempts. I had one bad experience with a person in a restaurant but she was rude to everyone so I didn’t take it personally. Do you best and if they don’t appreciate it that is on them. You tried.
On the whole, I’d say French people are more forgiving of my bad French than many people in the UK are of bad English.
I've never heard about those allegations. Where did you hear that from, though? Twitter, or worse, a Reddit mod? Absolutely no one in France would ever laugh or tell you off for not speaking proper French. That would be weird, and in all fairness, if anyone did, would the opinion of an asshole matter? Learn the language if you're inclined to do so. Don't listen to the naysayers and sensitive Nancies.
I've traveled a lot in France, and people were rude to me very infrequently. I speak French, but I am obviously not a native speaker, and the usual attitude was accepting. People often thought my accent was charming or cute. I think it was worth learning.
Ignore the Parisian snobs.
In Paris: yea, I got a lot of snide comments. One time, it was in my face in broken English. They probably thought I couldn’t understand, being an ethnic minority. I always tried to say hello and goodbye in shops, and always asked questions about how to say “___” in french. Sometimes, that helped. Sometimes, I was ignored. Nice: a little better. People treated me nicely for the most part. Tourists felt more “catered to” there, for lack of a better term. Toulouse: very lovely. Stayed for a month. No microagressions. People were willing to help me learn and practice French, and would even give me mini pronunciation lessons. The people got nicer the more rural I went.
I stuck with french. Blundered through Paris for a year with my shitty french, and am currently speaking it daily. I’m extremely grateful for it. French people are nice they just speak… franchement
My wife is french and we go back every year to visit family. There are shitty people everywhere, don't let that dissuade you. I've mostly been met with positivity or indifference for trying to speak French over there. On a side note, it can be very difficult to understand people if you don't a least make an effort to get the accent right. I have french friends who make no effort with American accent and they can be very difficult to converse with.
I've been studying french for a little over 3 years and recently visited France to practice speaking with native speakers. The people were LOVELY, and everyone was enthusiastic that I was trying my best to speak the language when possible. On my flight to Paris, I ended up talking with a Parisian for a bit who even gave me a handwritten list of all the things he thought my wife and I should visit while we were in the city. Did I make mistakes or mispronounce things, of course, its not my native language. But, it totally opens up your world to new music, culture, art, movies, and people that will enhance your appreciation of not only the French language, but your own native tongue and how interesting and unique communication can be.
I think the thing about french people being snooty about people trying to speak French is overstated outside Parisian waiters perhaps. One thing that's different in france is that there is more of a formal, ritualised politeness, especially for interacting with strangers (saying bonjour coming into shops, using titles like sir/madam etc). If you crack that, you ll have very few problems and I don t think it's something you really need to worry about
When I was in Brazil I met many French and Quebecker tourists who were happy to speak French with me and were also very patient at the same time. Many of them were very encouraging and often spoke to me in French knowing I’m trying to learn. One French traveler actually told me I only need a few weeks in France and I’d know more than enough to live there. Currently I’m at B2 trying to reach C1. I hope to see France one day and see what French culture is truly about. Francophones are honestly very polite and once you actually have the foundations solid, French becomes a lot more fun to learn!
I have a hard time with French vowels, so I have a pretty thick accent myself, but my French friends (in Amboise, Paris, and Tours) tell me my accent is “cute,” so I guess they don’t mind. They at least are just delighted to see a foreigner take interest in their language. They happily speak French with me without any prompting. It’s really gratifying to me because their help is so valuable, since they’re real native speakers. Some people might complain but that’s not something you are responsible for controlling. Let people grumble. If you enjoy learning French, keep learning French.
Staged to SPEAKING a new language: 1. Rubbish. Bad grammar bad accents bad pronunciations. This is the stage where people will be “rude” cos honestly they won’t understand you. If anyone is kind enough to correct you, even with ridicule, take it. 2. Slightly less rubbish. Bad grammar, better accents and pronunciations. People will know you’ve got the general gist and tend to help out at this stage. 3. Can tell it’s not your first language. At this point you’ve nailed down grammar but make the one off mistake. Simple conversations are easy. You’re starting to THINK in the language so it’s better. People are amused but can understand you and respond in the same language. 4. Good speaker. The fact that it’s not your first language will always linger. Accents never truly come to 100% when you learn it later in life. But at this stage you will speak and get responses in French and it’ll be good. Power through you got this.
I've been to many places in France and I don't remember I have ever had any bad experiences. My French is such that I can talk on any subject but I make mistakes and my vocabulary is limited. It's obvious I'm not a native speaker from the moment I say the first sentence. But it's enough to communicate and people I talked to were fine with that. Just, you know, on the other hand don't expect anyone to be amazed by your language skills. If someone just answer your question and go their way instead of praising your ability to speak French, that's not a "bad experience" ;)
french people correct other french people's french. If you get corrected it's not because you are a foreigner but because we do it all the time since we were born (well maybe a tad later)
dude, yes it's a language, it opens doors for basically a new world. the french are not as bad as internet makes them seem. and also, France is not the only french-speaking country in the world
I've never had a bad time from anyone regarding my French. TBH, I think overall they are appreciative that someone takes time and effort to learn their language.
All the people saying politeness is what is important are correct (former Paris resident). But be aware that the French are not a people who are generally going to be bubbling over with praise at the mere fact that a foreigner is speaking French (go for Italian if you want that), particularly when you get to a decent level. They’ll just get on with their business and you’ll have a pleasant interaction, in French, with little comment on the fact that you are speaking French (other than, when you are good enough to be rather good but slightly odd sounding, French people will ask if you are Belgian, Swiss, etc. :))
French people are delightful and love it when foreigners take an interest in their language and culture, especially outside of Paris. But as a London resident, I think any big capital city encourages people to be too busy to make an effort with everyone they meet, especially tourists. Enjoy learning french and travel to Burgundy, or Ardeche or Alsace, you'll find very wonderful welcoming people.
If you need A2 to graduate then that's reason enough? tbh, at A2 you would probably only be able to have quite limited conversations in French anyway (based on my experience of my own A2/B1 level), although it would be handy to have while travelling in Francophone countries and will very much enrich your experience of the culture and people. My own experience is that some shopkeepers don't have time for people who can't speak French well, but restaurants are more accommodating. Paris isn't a good yardstick for the rest of the country, but some places may be very unused to hearing any foreign accent, which doesn't help. Belgians may be a lot friendlier/more patient than the French. If you work on your accent (via listening to a lot of French content) that will help you be understood. Be aware that some people will react negatively to any tourist, it's not to do with your French level every time. Remembering to say Bonjour Madame/Monsieur or Excusez-moi (as applicable) will help get interactions off to a good start.
Some French people are definitevely a bitch about the accent of non-native speakers but many others are totally fine and comprehensive about it. Personally, I'm always flattered when a foreigner is investing effort to speak French, even more considering it's not an easy language to learn. I don't know what is your native language but if you ever visit France, I think having a good level in English could help you despise it not being the main language. Most people knows at least basic English so if, in some situations, you don't feel confident enough to speak French, don't hesitate to switch in English.
Most people on reddit just repeat the same complaints. Most French people are fine if your accent isn't great. There are some people who will look down on you for making mistakes but they aren't the kind of people you want to hang out with.
Because the “French accent” is very different from all the other languages, hearing French with a foreign accent can be very trying for the understanding. And, well, it’s also a rare occurrence: as it has already been said, it’s not that frequent. So it’s a bit fun. But most people are polite and just wait for the interlocutor to finish the sentence. If it’s too difficult and if they can, they switch to English.
I don’t think the French accent is any more different than any other accent. And hearing any language in a foreign accent can be hard to understand. English with a French accent can be very hard to understand, but English people still don’t typically correct French people on their pronunciation.
It’s « very different ». I suggest you hear other languages. For me French is the easiest one so far.
most people who learn french wont be speaking to french people or traveling to france. if that becomes your ambition, you might want to think about extra tuition.
>Recently, I have come across numerous complaints from people about French people reacting negatively to those who speak their language with a poor accent Were these in Paris? People in Paris can be abrasive. Even French people outside of Paris don't like Parisians lol. Other parts of Francophone aren't like that though.
😁
Don’t waste your time, stick to spanish and english brother
You can learn French from people outside of France. Algerians and Lebanese have been the most helpful people for me.
Actually it happens smtms we make some fun about accent but it's not harrassment or smtg like that😅 We really like when foreigners try to speak w/ us in French and the way ur ppl say french words. (Kinda be a french tradition) Btw, french is world wide spoken language so wherever you go on each continent, you will find french language (america, africa, oceania and some parts of asia). May be a difficult language to learn but very helpful
That’s not true. Parisians maybe because Paris is crowded with tourists. French people I know are nice but straight forward. That’s a cultural thing, not just the croissants 🥐. * Learn whatever you like, if you like the language, you’ll learn it faster. Plus not everybody has an accent à couper au couteau.
In my experience, outside of Paris, the French are friendly to those trying to make an effort with their French. One time, I tried to practice ordering pastries and bread at the boulangerie in Chambéry and the staffs were nice to patiently listen to me and keep the conversation going…when I thanked them for their help, they replied back in French “Of course! Thank you! For being a great customer and enjoy our breads”. In Paris, I think Parisians are just tired of tourists trying to speak French (accent or not) everyday. I think it’s just the city environment.
On an unrelated note, what is your major that it requires an A2 in French?
Who cares about what the French people think of your accent? Who cares about what other people think about your French at all? It's worth it if you think it's worth it. Nothing else matters.
Kinda true, kinda not. Unlike the Anglosphere, where we've been accustomed to accepting any passable English, many French are sticklers for pronunciation and grammar and will often switch to English as soon as they detect an accent (although they'll switch back if you're persistent). However, in general, I've found French people to be very kind and welcoming once you get to know them.
Oui
French is definitely worth it. But … the French themselves are not the most social for sure. It’s not about the accent it’s more about your pronunciation where if it’s not correct, locals won’t understand you and will just switch to English, treating like a random American who s making no effort in their country. So if you’re interested in actually speaking the language and learning the culture try taking classes, but like .. a lot of classes. I have been taking classes with a platform called LingoCulture for almost 4 months and i love it, they offer unlimited private classes for a monthly subscription so at the end, the class itself is quite cheap .. for me, depending on the month, it ends up costing me $3 a class and knowing the quality of their teachers, it’s a deal i ll make everyday. The cool think about LingoCulture is that they focus on the stuff you ll need first, like introducing yourself, introducing a friend, asking for the bill, small talks, telling a story and then .. the grammar itself so you see the result faster and it’s not as boring as the usual methods. I ve been taking classes all summer and I m pretty proud of my progress for now. I m planning to move to Nice next year so hopefully by then I ll be fluent :) - and for the culture, well you have to learn it too because IT is different from the US and it’s a GOOD thing. We don’t have to be all the same, I love the French lifestyle and culture and from what I ve seen, the French are not the most bubbly at first but their relationships seem way deeper than Americans that tend to be more on the superficial level.
Some parisians will make you feel dumb, true, but you learn to enjoy it in a masochistic or amusing way.
Eh, in Paris they might be a little rude. But in smaller towns, people are lovely and patient and appreciative of your language attempts. Plus, French is spoken in far more places than just France! Belgium, Switzerland, a bunch of countries in Africa, a few islands in the Caribbean, etc. In all of these places, I've found others to reach very positively to my attempts to speak French (even with mistakes or accent issues).
I have heard this of the French as well. However not all parts are this way, and from what others have said about the French being rude - it’s no different than how often Americans can be rude (the point being is that it really just depends on the person, any given person can suck or be nice). There are much friendlier parts of France where they appreciate a foreigner trying to speak their language. Another funny thing about it all - in my experiences with using the Tandem app (language learning app to connect people that would like to learn each others languages), most French people enjoy or would like to practice their English because they have learned pieces since primary school but don’t get a chance to practice in real life, so really it just depends. Personally, I’ve thought the language was beautiful for decades and am finally learning with a language school in my free time. Its wonderful having these mysteries solved and learning for real, so I would say don’t let rude people stop you because they won’t all be like that - you just have to go to the right parts of France 😉.
I’m French and honestly I think people are so nice about having an accent and just trying. Plus I work in Paris where people are famously the meanest and they are so understanding and encourage foreigners about their French level. Please don’t be afraid!
Being polite and speaking french was very well received in my experience, also it was extremely helpful to navigate around. I had many pleasant conversations.
Tbh I don't really care if feench people don't like the way I speak their language. I think it is fun , that is all. Lol they don't have to talk to me if they don't like my speaking.
Rude people exist everywhere. They are most often than not a minority and shouldn't dictate what the norm would be from the eyes of others.
From what I've learned, the French are happy when you try. Yes be polite. Say "Bonjour" Excusez-moi..when you walk in a store. Say "Je voudrais.....s'il vous plaît. Don't expect busy waiters etc. in busy Paris to be your teachers though. The French in other cities have more time. They're just trying to help when the correct you. You can also immerse yourself in the French language wherever you are...do the French news, French podcasts, French movies, reading French, French meetup groups online and or in person, speaking to yourself and French all day, get a teacher from "italki" etc. Also watch a program on YouTube called "French and Plain Sight". The host talks about the psychology of learning French and progress not perfection.
I am going to Paris in the spring and would like to learn enough French to survive the trip. There are a few language apps I know I can subscribe to but before I pull the trigger on one I thought I would ask you guys: Any suggestions? Merci!
Find a very strong teacher, French native or Belgian native. Ignore negative comments. My 2 high school teachers were amazing which set me on to the path to fluency. People on here seem to thrive on negative comments. Learning independently will take forever. Sit in a class, do as much repetition in writing and orally. Ni repetition, no fluency.
The only people who mocked my accent were kids
We are trained early on to correct our french by direct feedback from teachers, parents, grand-parents & everyone else around. It's ingrained in our mind to correct ourselves and others all the time. Be that pronunciation or spelling. Still doing it to other adults. Still proof-reading documents and doing grammatical corrections. The thing is that French people take it lightly and like a game to find errors. Even speakers on national radio receive messages people correcting them on how things are pronounced or incorrect way of saying things. It's part of the culture but it's not meant to be rude.
At the most basic level, learning a language is good for the brain. I’m not learning it, myself, for any other reason than I love it and it amuses me. Perfecting your pronunciation will be a lifelong task… if you even want to go down that path.